Do you know how to act in a Spanish traffic accident?

The Facebook page N332, which is run by volunteer Trafico officers, has published some helpful information about how to act in a Spanish traffic accident. 

With the help of Policia Local Los Alcazares, they have put together a step-by-step to ensure you can be as safe as possible if something unfortunate happens. 

So, if you have a Spanish traffic accident or breakdown, there are certain things you must try to do. 

First, try to move the vehicle, within your possibilities and using common sense, to a safe area such as hard shoulders or side roads, avoiding traffic and therefore preventing a collision. The advice given is to NEVER push the car to achieve this. 

Then, put on your reflective vest. Spanish law says there must be a reflective vest for every passenger in the car, and Trafico suggests they are kept near the front of the vehicle so they can be put on while still inside the car. 

Once wearing the vest, you can exit the car and place your warning triangles onto the road, while taking extra security measures. This movement should be done from off the road, for example on the other side of the guardrails, if they are present. By 2026, the law will change so that instead of warning triangles, a light signal will need to be carried in the car. These are magnetic and can be placed onto the roof of the car from inside, ensuring that you can be seen before exiting your vehicle. These have been introduced to reduce risk to drivers after a number of fatalities linked to the placing of warning triangles during Spanish traffic accidents, and are available now.

Once this is done, you can call the emergency service on 112 or your tow truck service. It is important to know the place where you are located, so look for the name of the road, kilometre point on the signage and the direction in which you are going. Some services use the ‘what3words’ app that can pinpoint your location with a random mix of words. Another option is the ‘share location’ function on messaging services such as Whatsapp. 

Lastly, do not wait inside your vehicle as there is a risk of collision. Stay on the off-road side of the guardrail when safe to do so, and wait for assistance. If Trafico is called, they will always fill out a report and give you a copy for your insurance and will help with further information. Hopefully, this information helps in the unfortunate event you are involved in a Spanish traffic accident or breakdown.

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